Connect with us
Monday,05-October-2026
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations sweep India; devotees throng Maharashtra temples, pandals

Published

on

Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated with immense enthusiasm and religious fervour across India, particularly in Maharashtra, on Monday, as devotees welcomed beautifully crafted idols of Lord Ganesha into their homes and public pandals to mark the beginning of the 10-day festival.

Across cities, elaborate decorations, illuminated pandals, devotional rituals and cultural programmes have added to the festive atmosphere, with devotees offering prayers, flowers, sweets and other traditional offerings to Lord Ganesha.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is revered as the deity of wisdom, prosperity and new beginnings and is traditionally invoked before important undertakings.

The celebrations will culminate in Anant Chaturdashi on September 25, when devotees traditionally bid farewell to the deity through immersion processions.

The origin of Ganesh Chaturthi in its present public form in Maharashtra is traced to Keshavji Nayak Chawl in Girgaum, Mumbai, where freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak began the first ‘sarvajanik’ Ganeshotsav in 1893. The initiative was aimed at bringing people together and garnering public support for India’s freedom struggle.

However, the Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Trust maintains that the public celebration of Ganeshotsav in Pune was started by Bhausaheb Rangari in 1892, making the origins of the public festival a matter of historical significance for both Mumbai and Pune.

In Pune, the arrival ceremony of Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati, regarded as Hindustan’s first public Ganpati, began amid the rhythmic beats of dhol-tasha and witnessed the participation of a large number of devotees.

Special prayers were also performed at the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple as part of the celebrations.

In Mumbai, dazzling lights and elaborate decorations have given a festive appearance to several prominent Ganesh pandals and temples, including Lalbaugcha Raja at Lalbaug, Tejukaya Mandal in Lalbaug, Ganesh Gully in Lalbaug, GSB Seva Mandal at Matunga-Kings’ Circle, Andheri-cha-Raja, Shri Bal Gopal Ganesh Utsav Mandal at Marine Lines, Kethwadi 11th Lane, Kethwadi 12th Lane, GSB Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Samiti in Wadala, Sahyadri Mandal in Tilak Nagar-Chembur, and Fort Vibhag Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Mandal in Fort.

Thousands of devotees are visiting the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Long queues of devotees were seen outside the famous pandal as people patiently waited for Bappa’s darshan.

The renowned Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai has also been magnificently decorated for the festival, adding to the festive and devotional atmosphere in the city.

In Nagpur, a large number of devotees gathered at the famous Ganesh Tekdi Temple. Devotees stood in long queues to offer prayers and seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha for happiness, prosperity, peace and overall well-being.

The temple premises have been witnessing a deeply devotional atmosphere since morning, with the surrounding area echoing with chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ as devotees arrived to pay obeisance to the deity.

A devotee, speaking to media, said, “This 10-day festival is ongoing, and there is a huge rush. Our main intention is to ensure that every devotee gets proper darshan, and we have made arrangements accordingly. We have set up separate queues for men and women. For elderly people, we have arranged e-rickshaws and EV vehicles so they can be transported from there to here.”

Another devotee spoke about the spiritual significance of the festival and the joy surrounding the celebrations.

“We came here for Ganesh Chaturthi and had darshan at the temple. The atmosphere here is so joyful and pleasant. The true essence of Ganesh Chaturthi is that Lord Ganesha relieves us of our troubles and brings us happiness. Similarly, in our own lives, we should aim to spread happiness to others rather than causing them pain,” the devotee added.

Maharashtra

Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

Published

on

Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.

This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.

Continue Reading

Crime

CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

Published

on

Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.

The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.

The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.

During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.

Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.

In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.

Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

Published

on

MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.

Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.

Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.

In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.

Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.

Continue Reading

Trending